Audi will exhibit a compact SUV concept dubbed "Vail" at the Detroit Auto Show this week, which will reportedly pave the way for Q3 exports to the United States.

The Vail concept is expected to borrow much of its bodywork from the production Q3 (which has been on sale in Europe and other markets since mid-2011), however there's no word on what powertrain will sit beneath its bonnet.

Reports say that the Vail will be used to gauge reaction to a sub-Q5 sized Audi SUV, and see whether there's sufficient demand for the VW Tiguan-based Q3 crossover.

There are currently no concrete details about precisely what will differentiate the Vail from the production Q3, however all will be revealed once the doors open at Cobo Hall in Detroit later today.